Montreal food and gifts: what to buy, where to buy it

Just putting in a word for the West Island bagel of choice- Bagel de L’Ouest on Blvd. des Sources. As far as I know it’s one of only two out here with a full woodburning oven. St. Viateur opened up out here and they’re using a gas hybrid :anguished:

Tea


As far as I know there are two main school of tea. The “European” school likes to flavour tea and blend them (the bergamot flavoured earl grey or the famous flavoured kusmi tea lines are examples.) The “Asian” school focuses on a single source and origin seems to be more important.

This distinction matters because a lot of our early tea parlours are were of the “Asian” persuasion. We do have European tea but a lot of focus is but of the Asian way of enjoying tea and a lot of my friends who are tea aficionados will focus on single source and origin over blends. I am not a tea aficionado myself but I tend to enjoy the European style much more.

Here are a few tea parlour and merchants that can provide interesting teas:

  • Camelia Sinensis: the elder statesman of the tea parlour. It is a boutique and a tea house. The boutique has a varied and extensive selection. They know their stuff, they are very serious and they are very passionate. The tea house is a bit weird. They have a “technology free zone” so you can’t use your laptop or phone. The clerk has a bell that he will ring if the atmosphere is too loud. It is a place designed and maintained for quiet discussions, meditative enjoyment of tea and calm reading. It is quite popular and is the antithesis of the “loud american” starbucks atmosphere. They also offer courses in their tea school and russian tea service on wednesday for 6$. see: http://camellia-sinensis.com/en/

  • Un amour de thé : I believe they were the second “new wave” tea shop I noticed after “Camelia Sinensis”. They have been there a while and are clearly knowledgeable and very passionate. I don’t think there is a tea parlour however. see: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/un-amour-des-thés-montréal-7

  • Ming Tao Xuan: A nice oldchool chinese tea house in the old montreal. They have a fine selection of tea pots and a lot of tea. They have a small space where you can sit and sample some of their products. see http://mingtaoxuan.com/index.html

  • Specialitea (Commerce Ming Wah Hong) this small teashop on the corner of Clark and René Levesque is probably my favourite in Chinatown. There might be better tea shops that I don’t know of but the sheer enthusiasm of the clerk that served us last time we were there really impressed us. On hearing my friends liked pu-erhs, he brewed samples and gave us a demonstration so involved that we could not leave his shop without buying something even if we didn’t come in looking to buy. It might look a bit “ghetto” to some but to me it looks authentic and charming See http://specialtea.ca/ or http://www.yelp.ca/biz/commerce-ming-wah-hong-montréal-3

  • Cha Noir: Looking for a tea house in Verdun? Cha Noir is a great little tea house where you can drink in a confortable atmosphere. http://www.cha-noir.com/en/

  • Kusmi: The famous french tea house has a brand store on the plateau. I think its the only store in Canada so enjoy! You can find Kusmi tea and most fine shops but you’ll find the best selection there. They make my favorite tea and offer sample boxes for you to try and make your mind. See: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/kusmi-montréal

  • David’s tea : To me, David’s tea sells tea for your colleague stuck in middle management in some random company. If Starbucks were to start a tea shop, David’s tea would be it. They are not bad by any mean but they are pretty mainstream and I would not count on them to have the institutional knowledge of a Camelia Sinensis even if they probably sell the same stuff at the same price. That being said, their customers probably don’t care that much either. A good entry level tea shop found in most shopping malls. https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/winter-collection/view-all-winter-collection?gclid=CM2FkuGf7skCFQ2OaQod1nEPZQ#

  • Ritz Carlton: Looking for a place to enjoy english afternoon tea in high style? It doesn’t get more posh than at the Ritz Carlton. Yep, its pretty expensive (32$ per person… while you are there, why not enjoy a glass of champagne for 13$ more?) but you get the full experience in an authentic setting. They have been doing this since 1912 so they have plenty of institutional experience. see: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Montreal/Dining/Afternoon-Tea/Default.htm

  • The Griffon d’Or Tea Room: Ok, I get it, you want the Edwardian afternoon tea tradition but you are not looking to spend Edwardian money for it. Worry not, I have a locally sourced hipsterish afternoon tea alternative to offer! At 25$ per person, you get teas, scones and sandwiches (please reserve 24/hr in advance). This tea room is very popular and has been getting great buzz. http://www.gryphondor.com/

  • Salon de Thé Cardinal : You looked at Griffon Tea Room and you think its a little bit out of the way. Salon de Thé Cardinal is more centrally located (not far from the plateau) and has plenty of vintage charm to boot. They offer afternoon tea too. http://www.thecardinaltea.com/

  • La maison tricotée : What? A place to knit AND drink tea? But they go so well together! I don’t knit myself but if I were to do so I’d give la maison tricotée a shot. http://www.yelp.ca/biz/la-maison-tricotée-montréal

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Iiish! Wouldn’t gaz hybrid take some flavours away?

I definitely speak from my own experience. Know of some Hungarian coffee left? I never had Hungarian coffee and would be curious to try it.

I’ve yet to try San Simeon… I don’t go in little italy enough!

We do have a large diaspora! I remember there was an egyptian coffee and shisha shop called café nefertiti opened in the 90’s. That’s where I had my first taste of turkish coffee. Still have a bit of a hard time to get used to it. :smiley:

Oh! I’m sure someone who grew up in a different environment in the 70’s and 80’s probably had a different experience vs cheese. I mainly speak from the perspective of a white french quebecquer who grew up in the suburbs in the 80’s.

Agree with you on supermarkets. Adonis has a fantastic middle eastern cheese selection that I failed to mention too (haloumi and cie). I think my objective was to mention that even “standard” supermarkets can be counted on to offer a few of the most well known Quebec variations now.

Herbs and spices


Unfortunately, there is few novel things in most herbs and spices we use in our common cooking. We are at the confluence of british and french cultures and our culinary tradition reflects those aspects of our identity. I feel we have barely started to discover and use our botanical heritage in mainstream cooking but fortunately we have a few great experts to advise and guide us.

What to buy

  • Salted herbs from the lower saint-lawrence (herbes salées du bas du fleuve)
    One of the true quebec traditions that is commonly still used in the kitchen is salted herbs. The one produced in the lower saint-lawrence are the most prevalent but this is something we used to do in our homes. Salted herbs are a collection of herbs that’s salted. The goal, of course, was to have preserves for the winter months, as the salted herbs will keep indefinitely. Recipes vary greatly but parsley dominate the herbs and there always will be a few members of the onion familly included (green onions or leeks) and a few vegetables (carrots, celery with leaves, parnips). You can use salted herbs everywhere that needs salt and a bit of seasoning. I know people who will almost exclusively replace salt with salted herbs.

The brand that is the most common looks like that:

  • Garlic of the woods (ail des bois/Allium Tricoccum)
    Allium Tricoccum (we call it “garlic of the woods” in french) is a protected species of wild onion native to eastern north america and very well known in Quebec. You can’t buy it. In fact, if someone offers to sell it to you don’t… they are an engendered species and their commercialisation and use is forbidden. I list it because it is well known but don’t expect to find it for sale. It is possible to harvest it in forests but it is recommended to take only one leaf per bulb. The maximum permitted to harvest for personal use is 50 builbs or 200 grams.

  • Sea asparagus (Salicorne)
    This plant comes from the lower saint-lawrence. It looks a bit like a small cactus and taste very salty, like the sea. It is eaten as is, as a condiment with fish or sea food or in salads.

  • Labrador Tea (Thé du labrador/Rhododendron groenlandicum)
    Labrador tea is a novelty often found in souvenirs shops. The native americans used to brew it for medicinal purposes and some people have begun to use it as an herb. It is not very common in our cooking however.

Where to find it

  • Société orignal/Epicerie Fardoche
    La société orignal is an initiative that want to identify, source and commercialize speciality products native to the Quebec terroir. They are very well known partners that work with a lot of restaurant. They trade in all kind of speciality products, including herbs native to Quebec. They have recently opened a store of their own named epicerie Fardoche. http://www.societe-orignal.com/en.html

  • Atwater and Jean-Talon Market
    If you are looking for speciality herbs and spices the Montreal speciality markets are the place to go. Common products (like salted herbs) will be found everywhere but if you are looking for something difficult to find chances are you will find it here if it can be found.

  • Spicetrekkers (Epices de cru)
    Philippe and Ethné de Vienne are spice royalty in Quebec. Worldly and passionate, they are the go to guy whenever someone in the Quebec media wants to discuss spices. Their flagship store in the Jean-Talon Market may very well be the single best spice store in Montreal. They have a very well established brand and offer something between spice porn and lyricism. Most of what they offer is very (!) expensive but you know you are buying the gold standard of whatever product strikes your fancy. Their packaging is superb and they make gift boxes that makes very good gift to the foodie among you. They recently published a book (The golden rule of spices) and they have a very interesting online store that ships everywhere in Canada and USA.
    http://spicetrekkers.com/

  • Branche d’olivier
    If you are using spices often shopping at “Epices de cru” is an expensive proposition. We have a lot of cultures in Montreal and I can tell you for a fact our north african friends don’t go buying their Ras El Hanout at 45$/100g at Epice du Cru. What they do is go at branche d’olivier and buy it at 2.32$/100g. Is it the same product? Of course not. For daily use, however, branche d’olivier is a treasure trove of difficult to find spices, herbs, pulses and rice at a very good price. The place is also very clean, which makes it a much better shopping experience for those like me used to shop at “ethnic markets” (some of our ethnic markets are a peculiar experience where expired products and dust mingle… not here). Their first shop is in Verdun I believe but they have since established a place 5 minutes away on foot from the Atwater market in Saint-Henri.
    http://www.yelp.ca/biz/branche-d-olivier-verdun

  • Marché des saveurs
    Marché des saveurs is a very nice little shop in the Atwater market but you are paying a premium for shopping there. Spices and speciality product at the Branche d’olivier are 1.5 to 2x less expensive and I feel the latter have the leg up in term of variety. Branche d’olivier, however, might lack some of the high end elements (I’m looking at you fresh tahiti vanilla bean). If you don’t feel like going out of your way however they are a good option where gourmet stores are concerned.
    http://www.lemarchedessaveurs.com/fr/

  • Bottine aux herbes (the herb boot)
    Bottine aux herbes is a wonderful and rare sight. They are not a spice trader boutique or a speciality gourmet store: they are a herbalist. Going there is akin to going back in time and visiting a particularly organised and ambitious village witch. Looking for a medical herb or spice and can’t find it? Want to brew homemade bitters and having terrible difficulty sourcing your ingredients? You’ll find everything at bottines aux herbes. In addition, the woman selling you the product will probably have forgotten more than you know about the stuff.
    http://www.bottineauxherbes.com/achat/default.asp

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I’ve seen the herbes salees in stores/other people’s fridges but I have no idea what to use it in?

People I know that are a fan of the product use it as a substitute for salt. Use it in soups and stock, with potatoes or rice, in an omelet or fritata, in tomato sauce if you don’t have access to fresh herbs.

To me, the concept is similar with sucre vanillé in pastries; it is essentially a package of salt and herbs. It has a unique taste however.

Fruits and vegetables


Hello everybody! It has been a while!

Still have a few sections to cover and they are big ones. How do you approach a section on fruits and vegetables when you know more than half a dozen individuals much much more knowledgeable than you? With humility I guess.

See, I tend to know a lot about fruits and veg when they are transformed and fermented. Beer, spirits and wine? Right up my alley. Fresh produce? Less so.

I am, however, from Montreal so I so learn some things, if only through sheer osmosis. So. Here it is. My humble addition on the subject.

I’ll try to focus on peculiar elements and things I feel interesting.

What to buy

  • Heirloom seeds

Do you know Montreal used to have a famous melon? The Montreal Nutmeg Melon used to be a prized product. Extremely temperamental, impossible to predict (a plant can give you a 20 pounds melon a year and give you nothing the next), hard to carry (it used to be housed in an individual wooden box filled with straw) it used to be one of the most popular melon in the east coast of north america. Records show it was sold from 1.25 to 1.75$ a melon in 1907 (roughly 45$ in today’s money) at retail in american markets.

Unfortunately, the development of Montreal and the difficulty of the crops made it disappear. The only thing that saved it is a discovery in an american seedbank.

Heirloom Montreal melon, tomatoes, peas, onions, spinach, carrots, countless numbers of squash… a true underground of heirloom seeds is being used, harvested and passed around by a small army of enthusiasts. If you like gardening it is a true opportunity to get seeds from species and varieties simply nonexistant in today’s market. I’m not a gardener, most of my plants, unfortunately, die but if I was heirloom vegetable would probably be the only thing I’d do.

Find more information on Quebec heirloom varieties, look no further than these websites!:


www.semences-jardinsnathalie.com

  • Blueberries
    I already talked about blueberries earlier but I must bring them back here. Quebec is a particularly good land for blueberries (with the area around saguenay lac-st-jean being particularly famous) and you will find a lot of great ones from the end of july to september. Always, always look for the smaller ones because they are the most tasty.

  • Raspberries and Strawberries
    These go together in Quebec. Blueberries don’t grow everywhere but raspberries and strawberries will. Every house I know have at least a plant of each in its garden. Strawberries can be had from May to the end of September and Raspberries come a bit later, starting at the end of July and ending at the end of September. As all berries, Quebecquers make the distinction between the smaller Quebec varieties, more sugary and flavourful and the big American ones (sorry Americans… that’s our perception) full of water.

  • Cranberries
    Quebec is a big producer of cranberries and these should be available year round! While we call these “canneberge” we sometimes revert to their old name “atoka”. They are an important element of christmas and new year’s eve eats.

  • Celeriac
    I don’t know if this vegetable is popular elsewhere but it is very popular here. You can find a classic rendition in the ancient Montreal french bistro in their “celery remoulade” appetizer, which combine celeriac with mayo. It can be found from the end of july to the end of mars.

  • Ground Cherry
    We call it “cerise de terre” but its real french name is apparently “Physalis”. It is an orange fruit found in its delicate dried leaves. It is very popular in quebec and can be found from the end of july to the start of november,

  • Sweet corn
    “Blé d’inde” season (in english “indian corn”) is an occasion for true celebration in Quebec. The start of july to the end of october (to be honest, its almost always in summer) give way to “indian corn corn husking party” (épeluchettes de blé d’inde) in which famillies boil the sweet corn together and eat it with salt and butter.

  • Snow peas
    Snow peas (pois mange tout) have been popular for a while here. You can have them from the end of july to mid october.

  • Yellow split peas
    “pea soup” is a traditional quebec soup. It was so popular with our ancestors that it used to be an insult to french canadians by anglophones. “Pea soup”. The pea is dried, not fresh. The best brand for it is apparently from St.Arnaud. I have translated a version in english there: http://captmtl.tumblr.com/post/92245476901/traditional-quebec-pea-soup-ingredients-375. There is a nice video on it here from an american with a quebec mother:

  • Fiddlehead fern
    “Tête de violon” or “Fiddleheads” are furled front of young furns prevalent in Quebec from may to june. They can be toxic if prepared the wrong way so make sure you get the right information before going ahead and cooking them. They are great sauteed with butter.

  • Rhubarb
    An old person once told me that the rhubarb was the only plant with medicamental roots, eadible stalk and toxic leaves. I still don’t know if its totaly true. Rhubarb, however, is a quebec starwart with rhubarb pie being a classic. They are available from the start of may to mid june.

Where to buy it

  • Marché Jean-Talon
    The premium place to find Montreal fruit and vegetables in the city. In summer, this is a spectacular metropolis of fruit and vegetable vendors. They’ll even offer you samples! Even in winter its the best place to find things.
    http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/marches/jean-talon/

  • Marché Atwater
    More expensive and not as large as Marché Jean-Talon, Marché Atwater is still pretty impressive!
    http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/marches/atwater/

  • Lufa Farms
    A new concept: put greenhouses on the top of buildings and factories. Lufa farm is a true urban farm complex and will ship you fruits and vegetables picked the same day. Its possible because they are located within the city itself! Ecological and practical at the same time!
    http://lufa.com/en/

  • Vegetable baskets
    The concept is simple: buy a part of the production from fruit and vegetable farmers early in the season and get regular shipments of fresh baskets straight from the producers. The price is about 20$ a week and the basket are so huge I’ve seen couples splitting one in two households. Its a way to bring the city closer to the farm, encourage small producers and insuring the reception of fresh products.
    http://www.equiterre.org/solution/paniers-bio?gclid=CKDVj8OwxMsCFQyNaQodO7wM_Q

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Forgot to mention the restaurant that served the “celeri remoulade”. Its l’express!

I realised I ignored a couple of more obscure quebec berries available in season in some of Montreal’s better stocked fruit market. While they don’t have the notoriety of the king and queen of berries (the strawberry and the raspberry) and didn’t have the push their cousin the cranberry had in recent years they are still part of Quebec culture. My grandfather used to do red currant wine (vin de gadelle) and my mother used to do gooseberry jelly that she’d preserve and eat off season.

Amelanchier (sugarplum? saskatoon berry?)
Native to Quebec. Very obscure berries, a bit unknown. Available from mid-july to end of july. Rich in anthocyanin and antioxidant, lots of pectin. Can be consumed fresh, in liquors or jellies

Sureau (elderberry)
The harvest of this berry seem to be at the end of august/start of september. It has a very neutral taste when eaten fresh so its usually transformed. Very rich in antioxidant and vitamin C. Available as a syrup, jelly, liquor or fresh!

Cassis (blackcurrant)
I feel this berry is a bit better known. Harvested from mid-mai to august, this berry is to fragile to be eaten fresh and is often transformed. Very juicy, very aromatic and has a tinge of acidity. Transformed in liquors, jelly, juice, vinegar, desserts…! The french do a very famous cassis liquor and some quebec producers have taken to produce it too (see http://www.saq.com/page/fr/saqcom/liqueur-de-fruit/lorleanne/396119?selectedIndex=13&searchContextId=-100216131642600 )

Gadelle (redcurrant)
This fruit has an incredible red colour. Acid, sweet and aromatic, redcurrant has a lot of pectin, anthocyanin and vitamin C. Available mid mai to august. Produces vinegar, jelly, syrup, wine and desserts.

Groseille (gooseberry)
Available from mid-mai to august, this berry can be eaten fresh or preserved. When very ripe it can be sweet, if picked early it is acid but can go into pies and jelly. Can go into wine, jelly and pastries, among others.

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Thanks for the new update. I have just done booking everything from beginning to end (bank accounts are totally wiped out!), now I can start collecting food and drink addresses.

I shall wait for your next updates. Staying near Berri metro station so it can’t be too far getting to a good market for cheese, chacuterie and wine.

Actually, its pretty practical because it is the central metro hub.

You are in the latin quarter, north of sherbrooke you have the ultra trendy plateau mont-royal, west you have downtown and south you have old montreal.

The best markets, however, are located near Metro Jean-Talon (Marché Jean-Talon) and Metro Lionel-Groulx (Marché Atwater).

If I had to shop from Berri UQAM I’d go to IGA Louise Menard at place dupuis. Its not Atwater or Jean-Talon Market but its pretty good!

Thanks, Haddock. I have 7 days in total in Montreal. Want to check out a few markets for delicious provisions.

One of these day I will make specific threads for places I am visiting.

As a former montrealer with many many strong connections warranting 4-5 visits a year, I am blown away by your expertise and generosity. Thank you for this exhaustive resource which I will refer to for many many more visits. I’m very impressed!

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Meat


What to buy

  • Porc
    Porc has always been Quebec’s favorite animal. The particular thing with porc is that you can eat everything off it, from head to toe. Families used to come together and do “la grande boucherie” (the great butchery) once a year. They’d take the blood and make boudin, take the tripes and make sausages, the legs would become hams, the head would become “head cheese”, different parts would go in pâté, lard, bacon, you name it. Known producers and vendors are Porcmeilleur at Marché Atwater ( http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en/merchants/porc-meilleur/?filter_market=436 ) and Gasporc ( http://www.gaspor.com/ ), which has a long association with legendary restaurant Au Pied de Cochon. The best restaurant to see porc being featured is probably Au Pied de Cochon ( http://aupieddecochon.ca/?lang=en ).

  • Canard (Duck)
    There is a lot of french tradition in Quebec. Tradition like foie gras, the fattened liver of the duck. But foie gras doesn’t come in a vacuum, it brings with it all the parts of the duck. Parts like duck fat to cook potatoes in, maigrets, duck consommé. The best known duck producers are “Canard du Lac Brome” (duck from lac brome). They even have a store at marché jean-talon! Most good butchers will carry duck and foie gras. The best known restaurant for foie gras is Au Pied de Cochon (they put it in everything). As for duck, most good french restaurants should do a competent maigret de canard. see http://www.canardsdulacbrome.com/en/

  • Agneau de Charlevoix (Charlevoix lamb)
    It took 15 years for Lucie Cadieux of the Ferme Eboulemontaise to convince the provincial government to issue an “Appelation d’origine controlée”. As such, the agneau de charlevoix is Quebec’s first AOC. An AOC is a legal protection of a product designating its origin. It is very popular in Europe but rarely used in North America. It was a realisation that there was a lot of fake charlevoix veal sold in restaurants and butcher shops around Quebec that led Lucie Cadieux to seek protection. Now Agneau de Charlevoix is a sought after product by connoisseurs and neophytes alike. See: http://www.fermeeboulmontaise.com/

  • Agneau nourris aux algues de Gaspesie (Seaweed fed Gaspesie Lamb)
    Producers from the Gaspesie region of Quebec started to sell seaweed fed lamb. Different? See for yourself! http://agneauauxalgues.ca/en/

  • Boeuf (beef)
    Canada’s better known beef comes from its western provinces. However, consumers in Quebec are more and more on the lookout for specialised and gourmet products so some producers took it upon themselves to try to develop a better beef. Products like the highland beef from de eastern townships region. This scottish breed is born and raised locally without antibiotics, steroid or growth hormones. They are butchered in their own factory. See http://www.highlanddescantons.ca/

  • Lapin/Lièvre (Rabbit/hare)
    Rabbit used to be much more prevalent than today. You can still find it in season at places like joe beef or liverpool house or in french restaurants. If available, you should find it in good butchers. Look for stanstead rabbit, the biggest producers of rabbit in Quebec! http://www.lelapindestanstead.com/default.html

  • Cheval (horse)
    Eating horse meat in america seem to be very taboo, on a similar level with eating your dog or cat. In the french tradition, however, horse is on the menu and on the same level as beef, porc or chicken. Horse meat is leaner and has a stronger metalic taste. Be careful to buy it from a reputable butcher. The horse you buy has to be horse meat raised for human consumption, not the transformed carcass of racing horses, which is shot with all kind of chemicals. You might be able to find horse tartare if you are lucky and joe beef/liverpool house sometimes have a great rendition with their “filet de cheval à cheval” (horse fillet on a horse).

  • Bison
    Bison meat has been on a rise since the 90’s. Richer and leaner than beef, it is used in steaks or make great hamburgers. There are more and more bison producers in Quebec that offer a delicious alternative to beef! See http://www.bisonquebec.com/index.html

  • Caille (Quail)
    I just want to give a small shout out to this precious little bird. I actually don’t like quail, it is very small and eating it feels like work, which eating should not. It was a favourite of my father and is considered a delicacy to many. I have strong memories of my father watching us children to make sure we ate every gram of meat of that bird that was so expensive and precious. Me? I felt like I was eating a sparrow and just wanted to chuck it out the window. Its still found on some Quebec tables though and I guess its part of our french heritage.

  • Dinde (Turkey)
    If turkey is synonymous with thanksgiving in the united states in Quebec we eat it around Christmas. There is nothing else specific about Quebec turkey eating, its mostly a once a year thing that follows north american tradition.

Where to buy it

  • Marché Jean-Talon and Marché Atwater
    Those two market feature about half a dozen very good butchers each. That’s where I go when I want to source quality meat. The Montreal market have a nice website where you can find providers and opening hours at http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en/

  • Maison du roti
    An institution of the plateau, if you are around it is known and dear to many. The place caught fire a few years ago and it caused quite a commotion to the numerous residents and clients.
    http://maisonduroti.com/fr/

  • Viandal
    A gem of a butcher in verdun. This family run business is one of my favorite and is the reference for a lot of friends. Impressive selection, they do all their butchering in house. Legend tell that they are so popular in the korean community that the owner learned korean! See http://www.yelp.ca/biz/boucherie-viandal-verdun and http://korcan50years.com/2013/05/29/interview-with-a-korean-butcher/

  • Boucherie Lawrence
    Lawrence is a very nice restaurant that’s part of the nouvelle vague and they started their own butcher shop. I’ll be honest, I tend to see them as a hipster butcher shop but I’ve had great feedback from friends. http://www.boucherielawrence.com/

  • Boucherie Grinder
    To me, Grinder is Boucherie Lawrence’s hipster cousin. They occupy the same headspace and I’ll often confuse the two even if they are really not in the same location. Like Lawrence, they are associated to a well known restaurant (although I’d classify Grinder as more “commercial” than Lawrence). Like Lawrence, I’ve heard great things about them! https://boucheriegrinder.ca/

  • Société orignal
    Société orignal is not a boutique, its a philosophy. Their mission is curate and develop exclusive quebec products in partnership with producers and offer to it to restaurants and enthusiasts. Its not only meat, its fish, milk, grain, herbs, vegetables, transformed products, oils, sugars, butters… ect. They opened a brick and mortar boutique but it didn’t last. They are still present online though. See: http://societe-orignal.com/en.html

  • Abu Elias
    Ok, this butcher is FAR from downtown but its very well known! It appeared in the “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”. We have a lot of middle eastern butchers and this one is one of the better examples.

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Thank you for the kind comments!

I’m happy it will be of use. These are the kind of information I love to read about when I travel so I thought it might be nice to put what I know in a format that would be useful to me if I had to travel in my own city!

Plus it helps to separate the wheat from the chaff. There are so many nice things to find here, its nice to have a list from a local!

I’ll be sure to read it if you do! I love hearing feedback from tourists!

@Captcrunch, I shared this epic list with Julian Armstrong and Lesley Chesterman as well as Tourisme Montreal and Tourisme Quebec. Hopefully this list can be of use to their readers at some point!

Ha! Thanks!

:grinning:

I still have some stuff to cover but I ran out of time (and a bit of steam I guess). Didn’t forget it! (there’s still seafood to do!)

I only hope it helps people. The only payment I ask in return is that you give me your feedback if you do come in Montreal!